Apparatus for wire glass manufacture



July 28, 1942.

P. F. GUTMANN APPARATUS FOR WIRE GLASS MANUFACTURE Filed March 17,- 1939 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented July 28, 1942 APPARATUS FOR WIRE GLASS MANUFACTURE Paul Frank Gutmann, St. Louis, Mo., assignor to Mississippi Glass Company, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of New York Application March 17, 1939, Serial No. 262,393

Claims.

This invention pertains to the manufacture of sheet glass, particularly when reinforced by wire mesh.

A problem in the manufacture of wire glass is the proper positioning of the Wire mesh in the finished sheet. The wire is fed into the molten metal as the metal approaches the forming pass. Before the metal reaches the pass, both surfaces of the metal are chilled, and therefore partially solidified, by contact of the surfaces with'the comparatively cool forming rolls. The position of the mesh in the finished sheet depends on (0.) its point of introduction into the molten metal, and (b) the relative chill, or stiffness of the two surfaces of the molten metal at the forming pass.

An object of the present invention is to disclose improved apparatus for controlling the abovementioned variables.

Further and other objects and advantages will be apparent from the specification and claims, and from the accompanying drawing which illustrates What is now considered a preferred embodiment of the invention.

These objects are attained by mechanism shown in the accompanying drawing, in which the figure is a vertical section of the essential features of said mechanism schematically illustrated.

In the drawing I0 and I2 are forming rolls arranged with their axes in a substantially horizontal plane. As illustrated schematically in the drawing, the rolls are mounted for rotation on journals II and I3 in a frame I4 which is adjustable horizontally by screw I6. Longitudinal movement of the screw is prevented by the frame I1. about the center of roll I0, by means of screw I8 threaded through frame member I9. Neither of the above mentioned adjustments changes the size of the sheet-forming pass between the rolls because journals II and I3 are fixedly spaced apart by frame I 4 and, accordingly, the size of the forming pass is always maintained unchanged. One end of frame I4 rests on screw I8, while its other end is supported by journal II, which, in turn, is supported in a cross head 2 I slidable in slot 23 in pedestal 25.

Molten glass 20 flows between lip 22 and wall 24 onto the upper surface of roll I2 and is carried by rotation of that roll to the forming pass. Above the pass an overflow 26 forms against roll III, the size of the overflow being dependent upon the rate of flow of the molten metal, which, in turn, is dependent on the adjusted position of roll I2 relatively to the orifice between lip 22 and wall 24.

Roll I2 is adjustable vertically in an arc I5,

Wire mesh 28 is fed from bail 30 over horizontally adjustable guide roll 32 through overflow 26 into the roll pass, from which the finished sheet 34 emerges, to be carried away on conveyor rolls 36.

In operation, the operator can, by moving guide 32, adjust the point of entry of wire 28 into overflow 26. He can also control the flow from the orifice between lip 22 and wall 24 by moving roll I2 vertically with screw I8, or by moving the crown of roll I2 horizontally to or from the orifice with screw I6. This control of flow serves to adjust the depth of overflow 26, thereby varying its arc of contact with roll I0 and consequently the chill imparted by that roll to the glass in contact with said roll. Thus the operator has control over the point of introduction of the wire mesh into the molten metal and the relative stiffness of the two surfaces of the molten metal at the forming pass and can therefore control the position of the wire meshin the finished sheet.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiment herein illus-- trated and described, but may be used in other ways without departure from its spirit as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for manufacture of sheet glass, comprising a pair of pass-forming rolls arranged with the plane of their axes substantially horizontal, a frame for supporting said rolls, an orifice positioned to supply molten metal to the upper surface of one of said rolls in such a manner as to cause the metal to flow into the pass between the rolls, and means for adjusting said roll with reference to said orifice for controlling the flow of metal therefrom and the depth of metal above the roll pass, said means being so constructed and arranged as to maintain the size of the forming pass unchanged while said roll adjustment is being effected.

2. The invention set forth in claim 1, in which said adjusting means includes means to move said roll in an arc about the center of said other roll.

3. The invention set forth in claim 1, in which said adjustin means includes means to move said roll substantially horizontally with reference to said orifice.

4. Apparatus for manufacture of sheet glass, comprising a pair of pass-forming rolls arranged with the plane of their axes substantially horizontal, an orifice positioned to supply molten metal to the upper surface of one of said rolls in such a manner as to cause the metal to flow into the pass between the rolls, means for adjusting said roll with reference to said orifice for controlling the flow of metal therefrom and the depth of metal above the roll pass, said means being so constructed and arranged as to maintain the size of the forming pass unchanged while said roll adjustment is being effected, and adjustable means feedin wire mesh through said overflow into said pass.

5. Apparatus for manufacture of sheet glass, comprising a pair of pass-forming rolls arranged with the plane of their axes substantially horizontal, a furnace, means for positioning said rolls beneath said furnace, a lip for conducting molten metal from said furnace to the upper surface of one of said rolls in such a manner as to cause the metal to flow into the pass between the rolls, means for adjusting said roll with reference to said lip for controlling the flow of metal over said lip and the depth of metal above the roll pass, said first and second named means being so constructed and arranged as to maintain the size of the forming pass unchanged while said roll adjustment is being effected, and means located below the furnace and under the lip for feeding wire mesh through said overflow into said pass. PAUL FRANK GUTMAN N. 

